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criticism, and from a most wise friend, I thought it necessary to bring the letter itself into view and, insofar as it was possible for me having judged it, to send it to your friendship, either to release from the difficulty or to be corrected by your sagacity; for the one who criticizes must substitute his own opinion for the one that was found faulty. The letter, then, is this. {1Theodore to Athanasius}1 "4How"5, you say, "4is it that the icon of Christ is not worshipped, but Christ who is venerated in it, since there is one veneration for both?"5 Because in the case of Christ himself, the veneration is one of worship (for in venerating him I also venerate the Father and the Holy Spirit together, which is our Triadic veneration and worship), but in the case of the icon, it is the same (for how could it not be? for of those whose power is one and glory is one, of these clearly the reverence is one and the veneration is one), but nevertheless relative, that is, homonymous. For in venerating it I did not venerate something along with it, but I venerated Christ, not divided according to hypostasis, but differing according to the principle of essence; which is relative, but not of worship, even if it is the same, in that case understood and spoken of in this way, inasmuch as it is Triadic, that is, natural, but here the opposite, inasmuch as it is relative, that is, hypostatic. For if you were to say it is one of worship, you would have indicated that the Father and the Spirit were incarnate just as the Son, which is absurd. Therefore, in venerating the icon of Christ I do not venerate the Godhead, as some say (for this is significant of the Trinity; and the Trinity was not incarnate, away with the thought), but what? Christ himself, relatively; for he alone is the incarnate God the Word. But in venerating Christ himself, it is clear that I also venerated the Father together with the Spirit. so that in the case of the icon it would reasonably be understood and called relative, but in the case of Christ himself, one of worship, since the Father and the Spirit are conceived of together and venerated together. Therefore, my good sir, the theorem seems to me to be correct, that in the case of the blessed and adorable Trinity the preposition "with" is used (for "with," while indicating a distinction of hypostases, presents a natural unity, as is sung in the symbol of faith by all Christians), but in the case of the veneration of Christ and of his icon, there is no place for the preposition "with" to be used; for it would, by dividing the one hypostasis into a dyad of hypostases according to the argument given, carry us away into the impiety of world-worship. therefore, the pronoun was reasonably omitted, which, having preserved the unity of the hypostasis in both, separates the otherness of the natures. And indeed, says the all-wise Dionysius, each is in each other apart from the difference of essence. Therefore, by speaking of a difference of essence, he clearly showed an identity of hypostasis according to the "each in each other", in virtue of which the veneration according to relation has also been contemplated. For relation, as they say, belongs to the things that are relative; for they both exist at the same time and correspond to one another, for instance, an archetype to an icon. For the one could not be without the other being present, wherefore it has been philosophized that they exist at the same time. And it is added, that is, "homonymous", and this word has the same emphasis; for the name is the name of that which is named. so that here too the argument is about relative things, since we are taught that according to the definition of philosophy, homonymous things are those of which the name alone is common, but the definition of the essence according to the name is different, for instance, Christ himself and the one who is depicted. And since "hypostatic" is also added, this has been clearly demonstrated, that there is not another hypostasis besides that of Christ in his icon, but the very hypostasis of Christ, that is, the character, is both manifested in the icon by the appearance of his form and is venerated; and the whole argument is sound for those who think rightly. And so that the argument may have more credibility, I considered it necessary to subjoin three patristic testimonies to the letter, so that here too may be fulfilled, 'by two and three witnesses every word will be established,' to speak in scriptural terms. {1Of Chrysostom from the interpretation of the washing of the feet}1 Whenever royal images and icons are brought into a city, rulers and peoples meet them with

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ἐπίληψις, καὶ φίλου σοφωτάτου, ἀναγκαῖον ᾠήθην αὐτὴν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ὑπ' ὄψιν ἀγαγεῖν καί, καθ' ὅσον οἷόν τέ μοι ἐπικριθεῖσαν, ἀποστεῖλαι τῇ φιλότητί σου, ἢ ἀπολύουσαν τῆς ἀπορίας ἢ ἐπανορθουμένην ὑπὸ τῆς ἀγχινοίας σου· δεῖ γὰρ ἀντεισάγεσθαι πρὸς τοῦ ἐπιτιμῶντος τὴν οἰκείαν γνώμην τῆς μεμφθείσης ὑπολήψεως. ἔστιν οὖν ἡ ἐπιστολὴ ἥδε. {1Θεόδωρος Ἀθανασίῳ}1 "4Πῶς"5, φῆς, "4οὐ λατρεύεται ἡ εἰκὼν Χριστοῦ, ἀλλ' ὁ ἐν αὐτῇ προσκυνούμενος Χριστός, μιᾶς οὔσης ἐπ' ἀμφοῖν προσκυνήσεως;"5 ὅτι ἐπ' αὐτοῦ δὴ Χριστοῦ λατρευτικὴ ἡ προσκύνησις (προσκυνῶν γὰρ αὐτὸν συμπροσκυνῶ τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸ Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα ὁμοῦ, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἡ τριαδικὴ ἡμῶν προσκύνησις καὶ λατρεία), ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς εἰκόνος ἡ αὐτὴ μὲν (πῶς γὰρ οὔ; ὧν γὰρ ἓν τὸ κράτος καὶ ἡ δόξα μία, τούτων δηλαδὴ ἓν τὸ σέβας καὶ μία ἡ προσκύνησις), σχετικὴ δὲ ὅμως, ἤγουν ὁμωνυμική. προσκυνῶν γὰρ αὐτὴν οὐ συμπροσεκύνησα, ἀλλὰ προσεκύνησα Χριστόν, οὐ διαιρούμενον καθ' ὑπό στασιν, ἀλλὰ διαφορούμενον κατὰ τὸν τῆς οὐσίας λόγον· ὅπερ ἐστὶ σχετική, ἀλλ' οὐ λατρευτική, κἂν ἡ αὐτή, ἐκεῖ μὲν οὕτως νοουμένη καὶ λεγομένη, καθότι τριαδική, ἤγουν φυσική, ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸ ἔμπαλιν, καθότι σχετική, ἤγουν ὑποστατική. εἰ γὰρ εἴποις λατρευτική, ἐσήμανας σεσαρκῶσθαι ὡς τὸν υἱὸν τόντε πατέρα καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἔκτοπον. τοιγαροῦν προσκυνῶν τὴν εἰκόνα Χριστοῦ οὐ τὴν θεότητα προσκυνῶ, ὥς φασί τινες (τοῦτο γὰρ τῆς Τριάδος σημαντικόν· καὶ οὐ σεσάρκωται ἡ Τριάς, ἄπαγε), ἀλλὰ τί; αὐτὸν Χριστὸν σχετικῶς· μόνος γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ σαρκωθεὶς θεὸς λόγος. προσκυνῶν δὲ αὐτὸν Χριστὸν δῆλον ὅτι συμπροσεκύνησα τὸν πατέρα ὁμοῦ καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα. ὥστε ἐπὶ τῆς εἰκόνος σχετικὴ εἰκότως ἂν νοοῖτο καὶ λέγοιτο, ἐπ' αὐτοῦ δὲ Χριστοῦ λατρευτική, ὡς συνεπινοουμένου τε καὶ συμπροσκυνουμένου τοῦ τε πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ πνεύματος. Καλῶς οὖν, ὦ τᾶν, ἔχειν μοι δοκεῖ τὸ θεώρημα, ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς μακαρίας καὶ προσκυνητῆς Τριάδος τὴν σὺν πρόθεσιν εἰλῆφθαι (ἡ γὰρ σὺν διάκρισιν τῶν ὑποστάσεων ὑποφαίνουσα ἑνότητα φυσικὴν παρίστησι, καθὼς ἐπὶ τοῦ συμβόλου τῆς πίστεως παρὰ πᾶσι χριστιανοῖς ᾄδεται), ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς προσκυνήσεως Χριστοῦ τε καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ εἰκόνος οὐκ ἔχει χώραν ἡ σὺν πρόθεσις εἰλῆφθαι· ἦ γὰρ ἂν εἰς δυάδα ὑποστάσεων κατὰ τὸν ἀποδοθέντα λόγον διιστᾶσα τὴν μίαν ὑπόστασιν ἀποκομίσῃ ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸ τῆς κοσμολατρείας ἀσέβημα. οὐκοῦν εἰκότως ἡ ἀντωνυμία παρελήφθη, ἥτις, τὸ ἑνιαῖον τῆς ὑποστάσεως ἐπ' ἀμφοῖν τηρήσασα, διίστησι τὸ ἑτεροῖον τῶν φύσεων. καὶ γοῦν, φησὶν ὁ πάνσοφος ∆ιονύσιος, ἑκάτερον ἐν ἑκατέρῳ παρὰ τὸ τῆς οὐσίας διάφορον. διαφορότητα οὖν οὐσίας φήσας ταὐτότητα δῆλον ὅτι ὑποστάσεως κατὰ τὸ ἑκάτερον ἐν ἑκατέρῳ ὑπέδειξε, καθ' ἣν καὶ ἡ κατὰ σχέσιν προσκύνησις τεθεώρηται. ἡ γὰρ σχέσις, ὥς φασι, τῶν πρός τί ἐστιν· ἅμα τε γάρ ἐστι καὶ ἀντιστρέφει πρὸς ἄλληλα, οἷον ἀρχέτυπον πρὸς εἰκόνα. οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἴη θάτερον μὴ θατέρου παρόντος, καθὸ καὶ τῶν ἅμα πεφιλοσόφηται. πρόσκειται δέ, ἤγουν ὁμωνυμική, καί γε τῆς αὐτῆς ἐμφάσεως καὶ ἥδε ἡ λέξις· τὸ γὰρ ὄνομα ὀνομαζομένου ὄνομα. ὥστε κἀνταῦθα τῶν πρός τι ὁ λόγος, ἐπεὶ καὶ κατὰ φιλοσοφίας ὅρον ὁμώνυμά ἐστι διδασκόμεθα, ὧν ὄνομα μόνον κοινόν, ὁ δὲ κατὰ τοὔνομα λόγος τῆς οὐσίας ἕτερος, οἷον αὐτὸς Χριστὸς καὶ ὁ ἐγγεγραμμένος. ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ ὑποστατικὴ πρόσκειται, τοῦτο διαρρήδην ἀποδέδεικται, ὅτι οὐχ ἑτέρα ὑπόστασις παρὰ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ εἰκόνι, ἀλλ' αὐτὴ δὴ ἡ ὑπόστασις Χριστοῦ, ἤγουν ὁ χαρακτήρ, τῷ τῆς μορφῆς αὐτοῦ εἴδει ἐκφαινόμενός τέ ἐστιν ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι καὶ προσκυνούμενος· καὶ ἔρρωται ὁ πᾶς λόγος τοῖς ὑγιῶς φρονοῦσι. Πρὸς δὲ τὸ πίστωσιν ἔχειν μᾶλλον τὸν λόγον ἀναγκαῖον ἡγησάμην τρεῖς χρήσεις πατρικὰς ὑποθεῖναι τῇ ἐπιστολῇ, ὡς ἂν πληρωθῇ κἀνταῦθα ἐπὶ δύο καὶ τριῶν μαρτύρων σταθήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα, γραφικῶς εἰπεῖν. {1Τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου ἐκ τῆς ἑρμηνείας τοῦ νιπτῆροσ}1 Ὅταν βασιλικοὶ χαρακτῆρες καὶ εἰκόνες εἰς πόλιν εἰσφέρωνται, ὑπαντῶσιν ἄρχοντες καὶ δῆμοι μετ'